‘League’ bats at Eye web

The movie “A League of Their Own” will be making the transition to the small screen as a TV series later this year–but on CBS, not NBC.

CBS confirmed a deal with TriStar TV on a half-hour series based on Columbia’s summer hit, after published reports in early December that the studio was in final negotiations on the spinoff at NBC.

The Eye network has extended a six-episode commitment to the show, which will be exec produced by Penny Marshall (who directed the feature) and her partner Elliot Abbott.

An NBC spokeswoman, seeking to dispel the perception that CBS had somehow stolen another base from the network–particularly in light of the recent David Letterman announcement–said the Peacock web “could not come to a deal” with TriStar and that officials were “certainly aware that they were shopping the project” to other networks.

Sources indicated that the breakdown between NBC and TriStar wasn’t related to money, but rather the casting process on the series.

Neither NBC nor TriStar would elaborate on that point and CBS said no casting had been set on its project, which could premiere as early as April.

Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, who scripted the feature, are expected to serve as exec producers and writers on the series.

“League,” which starred Tom Hanks and Geena Davis, grossed more than $ 107 million domestically after its July release.